EFFECTS OF SOIL DRAINAGE ON VERTICAL-DISTRIBUTION OF SUBSURFACE TISSUES IN THE SALT-MARSH MACROPHYTE SPARTINA-ALTERNIFLORA LOIS

Spartina alterniflora was propagated in buckets of modified salt marsh soil with near-natural cyclic flood/drain regimes to determine effect s of soil drainage on the vertical distribution of subsurface tissues. There was a significant correlation between aerial biomass and draina ge during the first year but not during the second. No statistically s ignificant correlation was found between soil drainage depth and subsu rface tissue distribution either at the end of the first growing seaso n or the second. Well-drained soils led to more uniform vertical distr ibution, but in general, soil drainage depth had no consistent effect either on distribution of subsurface plant biomass or on aerial:subsur face tissue ratios.